Fireplace closure apparatus

ABSTRACT

A closure device for sealing a fireplace opening over the hearth of the fireplace when it is not in use, having a cover member with sealing material along the bottom edge and along the back of the cover member along the side and top edges, and also having a pair of &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;J&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; shaped springs mounted on the back of the panel by a height adjusting mechanism for covering over the edge of the roof of the fireplace opening and frictionally engaging the roof to hold the cover member firmly but detachably in place, thus sealing the fireplace opening.

[451 Feb. 5, 1974 2/1965 Kleinknecht...................... 49/465 X ABSTRACT Primary Examiner-William F. ODea Assistant Examiner-Peter D. Ferguson Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Martin LuKacher A closure device for sealing a fireplace opening over the hearth of the fireplace when it is not in use, having a cover member with sealing material along the bottom edge and along the back of the cover member along the side and top edges, and also having a pair of J shaped springs mounted on the back of the panel by a height adjusting mechanism for covering over the edge of the roof of the fireplace opening and friction- United States Patent Reiner FIREPLACE CLOSURE APPARATUS [76] Inventor: Lawrence 0. Reiner, 109 Eastland Ave., Brighton, NY. 14618 June 20, 1972 22 Filed:

21 Appl. No.: 264,552

785 2 2 0 5 254 91W3, 40 29 F ",2 &m 2% mw w l mW m2. D N./ ""0 ""6 um. 6 "M7 e S7 I 1 m y 9 m IF 1] 8 55 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 840,343 l/l907 Kinley............ 1,590,396 6/1926 Sutton........ 1,606,112 11/1926 Sutton........

2,398,240 4/1946 Merryweather 3,162,188 12/1964 T0mpers........

FIREPLACE CLOSURE APPARATUS The present invention relates to fireplace equipment and particularly to improved apparatus for covering the opening of a fireplace when it is not in use.

The invention is especially useful as a universal fireplace panel or closure device adapted to fit substantially all fireplaces so as to seal off the fireplace and protect rooms or homes equipped with a fireplace, from drafts, heat loss; thus, significantly reducing heating fuel bills, especially in cold climates. Sealing in summer protects against flow back, and insects.

While various fireplace screens have been suggested (see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 624,984; 1,590,396; 1,606,112; and 2,841,218) none are universally adapted to fit almost any fireplace. Further, unless the fireplace itself is equipped with special, custom fitted adaptors to enable the use of such known screens, they can not be used in the fireplace. Other screens of the free-standing variety can not tightly fit the fireplace and thus do not provide the necessary seal to prevent drafts and heat loss. Moreover, free-standing screens are generally expensive due to the complexity of structure required to make them free standing.

Moreover none of such fireplace screens is adapted to seal the fireplace against blow-back into the room of air blasts, and debris. Insects, which commonly enter a room through the fireplace when the fire is not lighted, are guarded against by the fireplace panel provided by this invention which seals the fireplace as a port of entry for insect invasion. A safety feature of the fireplace panel provided by the invention'is that it may be used to seal off a dying fire. Use of the panel upon retiring facilitates rapid extinguishing of the fire.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide animproved cover for fireplaces.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved fireplace closure device which prevents drafts and escape of heat which would otherwise occur via dampers in the fireplace, which are usually difficult or impossible to fully close.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved fireplace closure device which does not require any modification, adaptors, or cooperating parts which must be installed in the fireplace to accommodate the panel.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide an improved fireplace closure panel device which is universally adapted to fit almost any fireplace.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide an improved fireplace closure which is easily installed and removed.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide an improved fireplace closure which is readily manufacturable at low cost.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide an improved fireplace closure device sealing off the fireplace to protect against blow-back and insect invasions, which scaling is especially desirable in summertime.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide an improved fireplace closure device which is operative to sealing off a dying fire, which is especially desirable as a safety measure upon termination of each use of the fireplace.

Briefly described, a fireplace closure embodying the invention is provided by a substantially rigid panel member having an area larger than the largest fireplace opening which it may fit. Clamping means are provided on the back or fireplace-facing side of the panel member for holding the panel member in juxtaposition with the fireplace opening when installed. The clamping means can be a yieldable member which cams under the edge of the roof of the fireplace opening when the panel member is installed over the opening, and thus holds the screen member firmly in place until removed.

The foregoing and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be more readily apparent from a reading of the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a fireplace closure device provided in accordance with the invention installed in a fireplace;

FIG. 2 is a rear view in elevation of the fireplace closure device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the device shown in FIG. 2, the section being taken along the line 3-3, when viewed in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of the device shown in FIG. 2, the section being taken along the line 4-4 when viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, a brick fireplace 10 is shown in FIG. 1. The fireplace has an opening 12 of rectangular shape, which is covered by a closure device which is provided in accordance with the invention. The shape of the fireplace opening 12 may vary. So long as the opening has an area less than the area of the closure device it can be covered by the device when the device is disposed in juxtaposition with the opening 12 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

The roof 16 of the fireplace is provided by a metal plate or beam which supports the brickwork above the opening 12 as is conventional in fireplace construction practice. It should be understood, however, that the invention is also adapted for use with other fireplace constructions, as those having arch roofs. The floor or hearth 18 of the fireplace is at the bottom of the opening 12.

The device itself consists of a substantially rigid plate, preferably in the form of a panel 20 which is of fireproof construction. The panel may be of sheet metal, say aluminum, about 0.035 inch thick. The front or room side of the panel 20 may be burnished or have a design to enhance the esthetic effect of the screen.

The edges of the panel 20 may be bent back perpendicular to the panel and then inwardly parallel to the panel; thereby forming an L shaped channel 24 along the top edge 26, bottom edge 28, and side edge 30 and 32 of the panel 20. This channel 24 rigidifies the panel and obviates the need for edge gussets.

A strip of sealing material 34, say of plastic foam or felt of the type used in weather stripping, is attached as by means of cement to the bottom edge 28 of the panel. Strips 36, 38 and 40 of similar material are disposed on the back of fireplace-facing side of the panel along the top edge 26 and edges 30 and 32; these strips being located on the leg of the channel 24 which is parallel to the panel 20. When the device is installed in place as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the strips seal the panel to the outer wall of the fireplace and to the hearth. A complete seal is provided; thus freeing the room and the house from drafts and heat loss in winter and blowback and insects in summer. Drafts and heat loss, and blow-back and insect penetration may be attributed to the dampers in the fireplace which rarely shut tightly enough to prevent such drafts and heat loss. The closure device may also be used as a safety measure, so as to help choke the fire after each use thereof; thus, it is desirable to install the device in the fireplace upon retiring at night.

ln order to firmly hold the panel in place in the fireplace opening and to facilitate the foregoing sealing action without the need for modification of the fireplace to accommodate the panel, adjustable clamping means are provided. These clamping means allow the panel to fit almost any fireplace. They consist ofa pair of spring members in the form of J shaped springs 42 and 44. The springs are mounted on vertical struts 46 and 48, which are attached to the back of the panel, facing the fireplace opening 20. These struts fit inside the channels 24 as shown at 50 and 52 in FIG. 3. The struts are parallel to each other so that the springs 42 and 44,which are mounted in inverted position on the struts,are also in parallel spaced-apart relation. The struts may also be placed horizontally to allow the spring to cam against sides of fireplace opening in the event roof is obstructed. In that event it may be desirable to provide two pairs of springs which extend in opposite directions and which exert forces in opposite directions.

The struts 46 and 48 each have'a vertical column of holes 54 and 56 for receiving sheet metal screws 58 which extend through holes in the springs 42 and 44. These holes are in the straight leg of the springs and are spaced so as to line up with adjacent holes 54 and 56 in the struts 46 and 48. Accordingly, the height of the springs above the hearth 18 can readily be adjusted. A suitable height for the springs is shown in FIG. 3 where a substantial part of the curved section of the springs 42 and 44 extends above the roof 16 of the fireplace 10.

To install, the panel may be manually inserted into the fireplace opening 12. Then the springs 42 and 44 cam over the edge of the roof 16 until they reach the dash line position of the springs as shown in FIG. 3. Then the springs 42 and 44 exert forces upon the panel in a direction toward the hearth l8, compressing the stripping 34. Also the frictional spring forces hold the panel tightly against the fireplace wall, compressing the stripping 36, 38 and 40. Thus, a good seal is provided. In the case of an arched roof the spring may be rotated to conform to the arch.

In order to remove the panel, it may be yanked out by grasping the side edges and pulling.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that there has been provided an improved fireplace closure device or cover. While an exemplary device has been described, it will be appreciated that variations and modifications within the scope of the invention will undoubtedly present themselves to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the foregoing description should be taken as illustrative and not in any limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A closure device for use in combination with a fireplace having a hearth and walls extending around and over said hearth which define the opening of the fireplace, and said closure device being adapted to seal said opening, said closure device comprising:

a. a substantially rigid panel adapted to cover a fireplace opening, said panel having a back adapted to face a fireplace opening and a front,

b. a pair of struts disposed in spaced-apart relationship on the back of said panel, said struts having a portion extending rearwardly from said back of said panel, said struts each having acolumn of holes,

0. a pair ofJ shaped spring members having curved sections and leg sections, said leg sections having holes therein,

d. fastening means in selected ones of said holes in said legs and in said struts, securing each of said spring members into a different one of said struts with said curved sections extending upwardly toward an edge of said panel and away from the back of said panel, said spring members being adapted to cam over the edge of a fireplace opening and exert spring forces against the walls of said opening to hold said panel in sealing relationship with said opening over the front of said fireplace.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein said edge of said panel is the upper edge thereof and wherein said panel has a strip of sealing material along the bottom edge thereof whereby said spring members compress said bottom edge sealing material when said panel is disposed in a fireplace opening.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 2 including strips of sealing material disposed along the top and side edges of said panelmember on the back of said panel member so as to seal the opening when said panel member is disposed over the front of a fireplace.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein said panel is a metal sheet, the edges of said sheet forming the top, bottom, and side edges of said panel being bent in L shape with the legs of said L extending rearwardly and then inwardly along the back of said panel.

5. The invention as set forth in claim 4 including strips of sealing material disposed along the inwardly extending legs of said top and side edges and along the rearwardly extending leg of said bottom edge. 

1. A closure device for use in combination with a fireplace having a hearth and walls extending around and over said hearth which define the opening of the fireplace, and said closure device being adapted to seal said opening, said closure device comprising: a. a substantially rigid panel adapted to cover a fireplace opening, said panel having a back adapted to face a fireplace opening and a front, b. a pair of struts disposed in spaced-apart relationship on the back of said panel, said struts having a portion extending rearwardly from said back of said panel, said struts each having a column of holes, c. a pair of ''''J'''' shaped spring members having curved sections and leg sections, said leg sections having holes therein, d. fastening means in selected ones of said holes in said legs and in said struts, securing each of said spring members into a different one of said struts with said cUrved sections extending upwardly toward an edge of said panel and away from the back of said panel, said spring members being adapted to cam over the edge of a fireplace opening and exert spring forces against the walls of said opening to hold said panel in sealing relationship with said opening over the front of said fireplace.
 2. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein said edge of said panel is the upper edge thereof and wherein said panel has a strip of sealing material along the bottom edge thereof whereby said spring members compress said bottom edge sealing material when said panel is disposed in a fireplace opening.
 3. The invention as set forth in claim 2 including strips of sealing material disposed along the top and side edges of said panelmember on the back of said panel member so as to seal the opening when said panel member is disposed over the front of a fireplace.
 4. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein said panel is a metal sheet, the edges of said sheet forming the top, bottom, and side edges of said panel being bent in ''''L'''' shape with the legs of said L extending rearwardly and then inwardly along the back of said panel.
 5. The invention as set forth in claim 4 including strips of sealing material disposed along the inwardly extending legs of said top and side edges and along the rearwardly extending leg of said bottom edge. 